Our picks for books of the year 2017

This non-fiction book explores the life of Catherine Tylney Long, the wealthiest heiress in Regency England and beloved ‘angel’ of the public. Ignoring the warnings of her closest confidantes, she married for love, her choice the charming but selfish William Wellesley Pole. Roberts tells a fascinating story of the first celebrity couple, whose every action was detailed in newspaper gossip columns. Catherine was a fascinating woman; fiercely intelligent and beloved by everyone she met, she nevertheless had a fatal blind spot when it came to her husband. Although the pace occasionally flags, there are enough twists and turns to keep you enthralled.

9. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

This enchanting fairy tale is set in the wilderness of northern Russia, where old beliefs in sorcery and folklore are gradually being ousted by the church. Young Vasya is the only one who can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods. With a beautiful, otherworldly atmosphere, lyrical writing and a feisty heroine, this fairy tale for adults has shades of Angela Carter and is completely gripping.

8. The Good People by Hannah Kent

Set in Ireland in 1825, this bleak but beautiful novel follows widow Nóra’s attempts to discover what is wrong with her young grandson Micheál, who cannot speak or walk. Kent’s writing is startling and moving and she effortlessly creates an immersive world in which folk beliefs control all aspects of everyday life. Uncomfortable and heart-wrenching at times it may be, but Kent succeeds brilliantly at doing just what historical fiction is supposed to do: plunging you into an entirely different world that somehow feels familiar.

7. In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunant

Dunant’s latest novel picks up where her first novel about the infamous Borgias, Blood and Beauty, left off. Rodrigo sits the Papal throne as Alexander VI, Lucrezia is travelling to the home of her soon-to-be third husband, and Cesare is marching through Italy on a campaign of conquest. Dunant is a fantastic writer and effortlessly blends fiction and historical fact to create a visceral and entertaining read, plunging you headfirst into 16th century Italy.

6. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

Not only does The Silent Companions win the prize for most beautiful cover of 2017, but the gothic ghost story within is also wonderfully atmospheric. Set in 1866, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling estate with only her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Billed as a ghost story inspired by Shirley Jackson and Susan Hill, I can confirm that this truly chilling tale is creepy enough to send a shiver down your spine on even the warmest days.

5. The Dry by Jane Harper

An alternative to all the Scandi-noir novels populating the shelves of crime fiction came in the form of Jane Harper’s The Dry. A masterful debut novel set in a small town in Australia, we follow Aaron Falk as he returns to his hometown for the funeral of a friend, who seemingly committed suicide after murdering his wife and son. The searing heat and tense, claustrophobic atmosphere leap from the pages and the mystery at the heart of the novel will keep you gripped until the very end.

4. Lost Boy by Christina Henry

I bought this Peter Pan prequel completely at random, unaware at the time that I was picking up what would become one of my favourite books of the year. You might think you know the story, but Henry’s version has little in common with the Disney film; this fairy tale retelling has edges sharp enough to cut and the Peter Pan in this book is one of the most frightening characters I’ve ever read. Reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, with its claustrophobic atmosphere and threatening undercurrents, this fantastic story will plunge you headfirst into a horrifying world of blood and loyalty, twisting and turning as it hurtles toward its thrilling, inexorable end.

3. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Sunday Times bestseller, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and winner of WH Smith’s fiction book of the year, this is one of those books that you might think has been overwhelmed by critical praise only to fall short when you finally get around to reading it. You would be wrong. This quirky novel about a woman who has barricaded herself behind the words ‘I’m fine’ manages to be both heart-wrenching and laugh-out-loud funny. At first I admit I found it hard to get along with the rather socially inept Eleanor, but the more you get to know her the more you’ll fall in love with her story, and you’ll be bereft when you turn the final page.

2. Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry

Parry’s debut novel is a masterclass in historical fiction. Effortlessly interweaving the story of three strangers whose lives become intertwined, the sights and sounds and smells of 19th century New York come alive on the page. The imagery and atmosphere is so rich and detailed that you’ll be surprised when you look up and find yourself in the 21st century. Add fantastic characters and a gripping story on top of that, and you have a wonderfully bizarre and unique story that will completely capture your heart.

1. The Possessions by Sara Flannery Murphy

This is a very difficult book to categorise; it’s a mystery, thriller, romance, horror, ghost story and crime novel all in one. It is set in a future in which the Elysian Society offers its clients the chance to reconnect with their dead loved ones by channelling them through living ‘Bodies’. Edie is regarded as the best Body in the team, but everything changes when Patrick, a distraught husband, comes to speak to his drowned wife. With shades of Rebecca, The Handmaid’s Tale and with a plot like an episode of Black Mirror, this story of obsession and grief knocked me breathless and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

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